Sunday, September 7, 2008

INTERLUDE - the remainder of last year's University Book Sale Books

So it's nearly that time of year again - University Book Sale Time! Table upon table of cheap cheap books, mostly garbage, but occasionally Garbage of the Highest Order. I think the guy(s) who run the sale read this blog, and so might be especially vigilant about hoarding up all the good stuff for themselves, but I'll do my best to collect a bunch of fabulous/ridiculous books so that I can serve them up in big delicious lumps over the course of the rest of the year.

But first, I gotta clear the decks from last year. So today, I give you the dregs of last year's book hunt. The stuff that was bad enough for me to want it, but not bad enough to make the firstfourrounds ofBook Sale write-ups that I did last year. How's that for a teaser!?

First off, "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh," a novelization of that ... famous? ... movie of the late '70s, written by the undoubtedly proud Richard Woodley:

That cartooning reeks of late 70s Mad Magazine. I wish I had an artist credit. The book/movie appears to be about a skinny man with gout hands who has taught his basketball to fetch fish. You may also be interested to know that

the official title of this book, according to the publication info page, is "The Fish that Saved Pittsburg" (no "h")

Edison Marshall was a workhorse. This is the third book by him that I've featured on this blog, and there are probably more to come. I love the idea that writers who were very popular at one time are now nearly completely unheard of. Big fan of evaporating pop culture. This cover - is that Michael from "L.A. Law"? He has this supercilious look on his face that just seems to be inviting rancor / violence. Seriously, don't you want to hit that guy? His presence has clearly sent a chill up the Mongol girl's spine - look how she clutches herself and huddles in terror.

Moving along...

Yes, that "Dayan." This is the eye-patched general's "21-year-old-daughter" (sic on that last dash!). This book is full of "candor" that shocked "Israel's older generation." That means that Yael liked to !@##, or, according to the back cover copy, "take love where she finds it."

Next there's ...

I'm laughing just looking at this book. It may be the most surreal-looking book that I own. I like to imagine that it's about the Academy Awards. Or two fish, both of whom are named "Oscar."

About the cover: I think the subtitle ("Overkill") says it all. "We've created a bomb that disperses tanks!"

And lastly, a legitimately great book cover - first edition of Calder Willingham's "End As A Man"

This book is worth a couple hundred dollars in this condition. I believe I paid one. Dollar. The cover design on this thing, while simple, is bold and memorable. I wish contemporary books had this kind of design sense. This book jacket was designed by Stefan Salter, and he and his brother George were both fantastic mid-century book designers. This novel, Willingham's first, was exceedingly controversial in its day, as it dealt with "corruption and sadism in a southern military college" (read: "homosexual subtext"). Willingham went on to success as a screenwriter, with credits on "Paths of Glory," "Little Big Man," and "The Graduate."

You should come out here to California and come to the Friends Of The Library booksales. I got a Queen Elizabeth cornation book for $1 that's worth $130. A set of Drapper's Self Culture from the 1920s, first editions, for $20 that are worth about $5,000. And that was when I had them appraised about 5 years ago. I mean, they've got a lot of junk stuff too, but now and again when someone's parent dies, the kids just donate every book they can without looking to the Friends. These people are idiots. Even the Queen Victoria biography that I got for a $1 that's falling apart I could either sell for $60 or I could cut the pictures out and sell them for $1,600 apiece on eBay. Cause it's another first edition.

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This site is dedicated to my vintage paperback collection. Every couple of days, I pull a book off the shelf and write about its cover. That's it. To understand the spirit of the blog, please read the following: